"
He glanced around on three grave faces with obvious satisfaction. His
wrath had dissipated in the vapour of words. "Nor they ain't such bad
boys, _as_ boys, nuther," he concluded.
"I will examine this matter carefully, Charles," said Steve.
"I thank you, su'," responded Charley, with a courtly sweep of his hand.
"Not at all," insisted Steve, with a duplicate wave. "I beg that you
won't mention it. And now, if you would travel toward the house----"
"_Cer_tainly!"
And out we went into North Dakota's congealed envelope, with the smoke
from the main-house chimney rising three hundred feet into the air, a
snow-white column straight as a mast, Charley stalking majestically
ahead, while we three floundered weakly behind him.
"Ain't he the corker?" gasped Oscar. "When he gets to jumping sideways
among those four-legged words he separates me from my good intentions."
"'With scorn and hoomiliation,'" quoted Steve, and stopped, overcome.
"'I tells you what's the matter and leaves you to figger it out for
yourself,'" I added. Then Charley heard us. He turned and approached,
an awful frown upon his brow.
"May I inquire what is the reason of this yere merriment?" he asked.
The manner was that of a man who proposed to find out. It sat on
Charley with so ludicrous a parody that we were further undone. Steve
raised his hands in deprecation, and spoke in a muffled voice that
broke at intervals.
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